Aqaba, May 4 (Petra) – Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) conducted 502 field environmental inspections on industrial and craft facilities, detecting 2,865 violations, according to Head of Environmental Protection and Sustainability Directorate, Taghreed Maaytah.

During a meeting chaired by ASEZA Chairman, Nayef Fayez, Maaytah said the directorate's key achievements over the past period reflected a "remarkable" development in environmental performance, at the levels of monitoring, assessment, quality projects, and community awareness.

Maaytah noted this milestone is part of the authority's efforts to build an "integrated and sustainable" environmental model in the port city of Aqaba.

Ships for importing bulk coal pledge to comply with "strict" ecological standards, she said, noting the directorate issued 59 approvals to receive marine waste, as part of the ASEZA's commitment to safety of marine environment.

To date, she stated 16 environmental impact assessment studies were carried out to ensure future projects adhere to environmental protection standards from their early stages.

Additionally, she added that the directorate granted 1,103 new environmental approvals and intensified its oversight over industrial and port facilities, mainly handling of hazardous materials.

The directorate, she said, also conducted "advanced" seismic studies at 12 industrial facilities to ensure their compliance with the 2022 Earthquake Code, a step that reflects integration of environmental safety and preventive engineering methods.

Under "Towards a Plastic-Free Aqaba" initiative, she indicated that eco-friendly 500 tote and 800 paper bags were distributed, 10 awareness lectures were held in schools and 82 field visits to pharmacies were made.

On its goals, she remarked the initiative aims to promote a "sustainable environmental culture that reduces reliance on plastics and replaces them with environmentally friendly alternatives."
//Petra// AG

04/05/2025 16:00:58